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For I know the plans I have for you,declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jer 29:11 |
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| Archived Manna: | |
Dear
Friend,
If you do not already have a habit of gathering daily manna the first thing in the morning (we can look at the example given to us in Exodus 16 and find the pattern for make it a habit. Establish your life and your schedule to allow you the necessary time to do your daily collection first thing every morning to give you the strength to make it through the day. And remember that today’s manna will not be sufficient for tomorrow; tomorrow’s manna must be collected tomorrow morning. Sunday, March 20, 2022
Today's Passage : Today's Passage :Grabbing and Quarreling Bible Verse:James 4:1-4 (NASB) "What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? 2 You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. 4 You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God." Message:
We have a guest commentary today, a continuing series on the Epistle of James, from Dr. Ken Boa of Atlanta.
In 4:2-4, James lists several problems with the mentality of grabbing:
First, it never satisfies. “You lust and do not have . . . you are envious and cannot obtain” (Jas. 4:2a). The more we try to appease the appetites of the flesh, the more they grow. The lusts for pleasure, prestige, or power never say “Enough” (cf. Prov. 30:15). Our desires always exceed their satisfaction.
Second, it leads to leads to anger, malice, envy, and hostility. “You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. And you are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel” (Jas. 4:2a). The Apostle John wrote that “Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him” (1 John 3:15; cf. Matt. 5:21-22). Worldly wisdom entices us to satisfy our cravings. This in turn leads us to hate those who get in our way and envy those who have more of what we want. The next step is open conflict and hostility.
Third, it causes us to assert ourselves rather than ask God. “You do not have because you do not ask” (Jas. 4:2b). This results from the delusion that we are capable of meeting our own needs without depending on God. Or we may give lip service to the fact that God alone can satisfy our deepest longings, but then scheme and connive to do it ourselves by milking relationships and orchestrating circumstances.
King David in Prayer, Pieter de Grebber
King David in Prayer
Fourth, it prompts us to pray for the wrong reasons. Even when we do turn to God, it may be with selfish interests at heart. “You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures” (Jas. 4:3). If our minds are tainted by the wisdom which is “earthly, natural, demonic” (Jas. 3:15), we will be tempted to treat prayer as a magical formula that will change circumstances and people to suit our own plans. As James tells us, “Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above” (Jas. 1:17a), but God will not give His good and perfect gifts to be squandered and abused.
Fifth, it opens us up to spiritual adultery. “You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (Jas. 4:4). James uses the imagery of the Old Testament prophets who often accused Israel of playing the spiritual harlot by following after other gods. “‘Surely, as a woman treacherously departs from her lover, so you have dealt treacherously with Me, O house of Israel,’ declares the Lord” (Jer. 3:20).
In the same way, when believers adopt the aspirations and attitudes of the world, they fall prey to idolatry. “If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you” (John 15:19). If we are friends of the world we will be grabbers; only by being friends of God are we free to become givers.
Dr. Boa is devoted to a ministry of relational evangelism and discipleship, teaching, writing, and speaking. He holds a B.S. in astronomy from Case Institute of Technology, a Th.M. from Dallas Theological Seminary, a Ph.D. from New York University, and a D.Phil. from the University of Oxford in England. I highly recommend a visit to his website, KenBoa.org, which is filled with free videos, written commentary, newsletters, etc.
Meditation : “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.” ~ John 15:12 Prayer : God our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, and Spirit of God amidst us, direct our way unto you. Make us to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you; to the end we may establish our hearts unblameable in holiness before you, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.........Amen |
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